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V@uitrit lfaire: @anni @ffice STEPHEN H. PLUMB, or DAVENPORT, IOWA,

Letters Patent 1%. 75,969, dated Marc/z 24, 1868.

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To ALL WHoM 1T MAY coNcnRiv:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN H. PLUMB, of Davenport, in .the county of Scott, and State of Iowa, have invented a'new andimproved Automatic Oistern-Feeder and Cut-Ofi'and I do herepy declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which-- Figures 1 and 2 are vertlcal sections.-

Figure 3,`a perspectiveiviewcf the whole.

Figure 4 is an elevation of one of'the buckets, with the lid raised to a horizontal position, so as to show the opening between'thc two parts of the lid. l i

Similar letters "of reference indicate corresponding parts inthe diil'erent figures.

This invention relates to an improved mode of conducting water from roofs of buildings into cisterna or .waste-water tanks, as desired. 'It consists in applying buckets beneath the pipes which lead downwards from a valve-box, through 'which the water passes, said buckets being 'provided-'with tilting lids, connected withfloatshapging beiow'said buckets, and so arranged tiatwheu'the water in the cistern or tank has risen to r. certain point, the float is raisedand the lid turned in a. diiferent position, by which means the bucket is lled. The buckets are attached, by connecting-wires, to arms, one on each side ofthe valve above, and when 'a bucket 4is filled, its weight throws the valve over to that side, cutting the water loli' from there and sending it in the other direction. i

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I will describe its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings A representsA the cistern, (a portion of it only being shcwn,) B a waste; water tank. The latter is intended to receive the water which first runs from the roof, until the roof is washed clean, and also to receive the surplus water after the cistern is full, obviating` the necessity f a waste-pipe to the cistern. A drain-pipe, p, is laid fromvthe bottom of tank B, and a waste-pipe, g, is placed towards the top of the tank, which Yshould lead into the drain below. C is the valve-bok, into which the water is brought bythe lpipe D, and fromv which the ,water descends. by pipes E and F. A valve, b, is placed in the box C, turningon a pivot at c, having anoutside handle, o, (iig. 3,) and this valve being thrown to either side, cuts oif the-water from` that side, and turns itl downA the other lpipe. The valve t has arms d d attached, one en each side. G Gf are buckets hanging in-the cisternl and tank, and suspended by wires e e' to the arms oZ al.v Small cranks or elbows z' 'are-placed at the angles of the pipe F, as shown, to which the wires are attached connecting the bucket G with the arm d.

The buckets G G arefurnished with tiltingflids ff, made'as shown, in two pieces, one overlapping the other, but curved seas to leave a space betweenthem, g, (iig. 4'.) Thus, when the lid fis in the ordinary position', the water falling on it runs of, but when its Iinclination's reversed, Athe water passes through the opening `(finto the bucket H is a float, being an air-tight vessel, or a-block of cork, wood, or other light substance, suspended from the edge of the lidfby a rod, h.

4'Iolbe ready for use, thc valveb is turned in 'therposition shown by section, g. 1, which will turn the water into the tank B. As the tank fills, the water raises the oat' H, which/ lifts the edge of the lid tipping it in the opposite direction, as shown b y dotted red lines. The water then runs down through the space g into the bucket G. The bucket is filled, and by its increased weight pulls down 'the arm zi, and throws the valve b in thc position shown in section, iig. '2, and turns the water to the cisterrr, and the tank-bucket G, having a small hole in thc'bottom, is gradually emptied. .When the {cistern iills,'the oat H is lifted, and the bucket G iilled,

as in the other case, and 'the valve t is thrown over to that side, turning the water again into the waste-tank.

In oase itmay be desired to allow the water to run longer for washing the roof than would be required to fill the waste-tank up to the oat, a valve, k, is placed in the bottom of said tank, which valve may be slightly raised by the cord m,'to allow a. portion of the water to run out, and take moretime to fill the tank. When it is desired to empty the cstern-bucket G to set the valve t the other way, it isdone by means of a cord, n.

Having thus described my invention, what -I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

'.l.. The water-bucketsG G attached 'to the valves b, substantially as and for the purpose spevii'ed'.l 2. The tilting lids f of the buckets, formed substantially as described, and folthe purpose set forth.- 3. The buoy or oat H, so connected with the lid f as to change the position of said lid; when the water reaches a. certain height, substantially as and for the purpose setvforth.

` S. H. PLUMB.

Witnesses:

HENRY W. PERKINS', J. M. DANIELS, W. L. CARROLL. 

